GLB Supersonic Shock

[amityeric]

When I bought my pool, the store sold me a huge bucket of GLB Supersonic shock and they told me to shock the pool once per week with 1.5lbs of the stuff.

I know that TFP does not recommend this sort of stuff.

I have a couple questions about it though. My pool water has been good lately. Here are the results from Aug. 3.

FC 4.5
CC .4
PH 7.4
TA 79
CH 165
CYA 47
CSI -.5

I had a bunch of kids over two days ago (5 boys who used it half the day, plus 4 other people at random times) and I thought I should use the recommended amount on the pool (1.5lbs).

So, here is my question. I want to add that stuff on the Pool Math app, but I can't find it. Maybe Pool Math just doesn't recommend it so they don't put it as one of the options. However, if I DO use it, then it would be nice to be able to log it.

Is the GLB stabilized? Am I adding CYA to the pool? What are the cons of using a product like this?

Thank you all so much for your help. This site has really helped me start figuring things out. I'm a slow learner though.

I've been wanting to switch to liquid chlorine but a case of 4 gallons at the pool store is $52. I'll go through that pretty fast. Not sure I can afford that the rest of the swim season. I think I need a cheaper source.

Also, I'm confused about the "pucks" I'm using. Are they Trichlor? Dichlor? I get confused on all the different chemicals. I have been reading Pool School, but I can't process all the information very well.

I'm using GLB large 3" tablets.

 

[mknauss]

That is Calcium Hypochlorite. Fine to add chlorine to your pool if your CH is low in your pool.

Shock weekly is not needed. Follow TFPC.

 

[Newdude]

Hey Ami and belated Welcome !!! The pool store wants you to forget about maintaining your pool. The sun burns off your chlorine daily and needs to be replaced daily. It’s nothing once you get used to looking after the pool, I promise. A super quick test and an add.

The pool store wants you to blindly ‘shock’ the pool with sky high FC in the hopes that there is some left next week, when you’ll return for more overpriced chemicals. You’ll blindly listen to them because they’ve convinced you that it’s too hard to manage yourself.

The weekly free water test is nothing but an illusion to get you to not test yourself and allow the pool to get out of whack, so they can sell you more chemicals. Once things are out of whack they’ll shift to selling you ‘fixes’ that don’t fix anything but mask the real problem and fool you further. A month later you think you have a new problem, and agree to another ‘fix’. It’s a cash cow that lasts as long as you let it.

Get a real test kit and take control of your wallet. See Test Kits Compared. Either kit costs a fraction of *one* trip to the pool store and with said kits results, we’ll send you to Walmart to buy $4 jugs of bleach, and not $100 tubs of shock. (Or many similar equivalent chemicals, price wise).

Or way not only works, but it’s dirt cheap. We will happily guide you until you are your own pro, and paying it forward to help the next new person.

 

[amityeric]

That is Calcium Hypochlorite. Fine to add chlorine to your pool if your CH is low in your pool.

Shock weekly is not needed. Follow TFPC.

Thank you for that video. Very helpful. So the stuff I'm using is what people refer to as cal-hypo?

Would it be better to use this on a more regular basis than to use the pucks? That way I'm not building up my CYA? My calcium levels are pretty low right now. I'd just have to figure out how much to add and when. Is the addition of the calcium the only downside to the cal-hypo? I want to eventually move to liquid chlorine, but it's way to expensive at the pool store. I'd be broke in a month.

 

[amityeric]

Hey Ami and belated Welcome !!! The pool store wants you to forget about maintaining your pool. The sun burns off your chlorine daily and needs to be replaced daily. It’s nothing once you get used to looking after the pool, I promise. A super quick test and an add.

The pool store wants you to blindly ‘shock’ the pool with sky high FC in the hopes that there is some left next week, when you’ll return for more overpriced chemicals. You’ll blindly listen to them because they’ve convinced you that it’s too hard to manage yourself.

The weekly free water test is nothing but an illusion to get you to not test yourself and allow the pool to get out of whack, so they can sell you more chemicals. Once things are out of whack they’ll shift to selling you ‘fixes’ that don’t fix anything but mask the real problem and fool you further. A month later you think you have a new problem, and agree to another ‘fix’. It’s a cash cow that lasts as long as you let it.

Get a real test kit and take control of your wallet. See Test Kits Compared. Either kit costs a fraction of *one* trip to the pool store and with said kits results, we’ll send you to Walmart to buy $4 jugs of bleach, and not $100 tubs of shock. (Or many similar equivalent chemicals, price wise).

Or way not only works, but it’s dirt cheap. We will happily guide you until you are your own pro, and paying it forward to help the next new person.

Thank you for your response. I've been here for a bit. Still figuring things out. I know everyone says not to trust the pool store tests, but I still don't have my test kit, so that's all I have right now. I have been using two different stores, and the printouts are usually very in line with one another, so I think that's a good thing. I do plan on switching to liquid chlorine soon, but right now it's too expensive and I have to figure out a better source. The pool store wants to charge more than $50 for 4 gallons and I have a big pool (you can see my project in my signature). I also still need to work on basics, like how to bring the PH up or down, how to bring the alkalinity up or down, etc. There's so much information here and then the pool stores always have something different to say.

 

[PoolStored]

You are in luck. The home depot on 76th in Vancouver is having a sale on 7.5% bleach. 49 Cents a gallon (well 121 oz. anyway).

Go there and buy that! LINK -->

Lowe's Vancouver Bleach

 

[amityeric]

You are in luck. The home depot on 76th in Vancouver is having a sale on 7.5% bleach. 49 Cents a gallon (well 121 oz. anyway).

Go there and buy that! LINK -->

Lowe's Vancouver Bleach

Wow. Really? OK then. That's very near my house. Is that a good bleach to add to the pool? I've heard that some have fillers, scents, etc., and are not good to add to the pool. Anyway, I'm heading out right now to get some pool supplies and will add that stop to my list of "to-do's" today. THANK YOU.

PS. you did say "Home Depot" but then put a link to Lowe's. I am guessing you meant the Lowe's.

 

[Newdude]

and I have a big pool

My last pool and next one were almost double that @35k. Now, You and I will need more chemicals for our waters than some, which is why it’s even more important to do it the most efficient way with the dirt cheapest of adds.

We will guide you how.

like how to bring the PH up

Borax which is $4 for a 4 lb box in the laundry aisle of the supermarket

down

Muriatic acid ($11 a gallon) which is available in the paint section of any home store / hardware store

how to bring the alkalinity up

baking soda which is $7 for 13lbs at the Costco like bulk suppliers or similarly priced at Walmart and the grocery store. 13 lbs will last YEARS for most folks

or down

Lower your PH with MA (Muriatic Acid) and the TA Lowers too once the PH rises again.

We’ll get there together but rest assured.

We.

Got.

You.

 

[PoolStored]

for 7.5% at 49 cents a ~gallon. Heck yeah. I have used this brand, no fillers.

Yeah, sorry, Lowe's, I think on 76th.

 

[amityeric]

for 7.5% at 49 cents a ~gallon. Heck yeah. I have used this brand, no fillers.

Yeah, sorry, Lowe's, I think on 76th.

Hi there, just picked up 11 gallons. Slowly figuring this stuff out. Your tip was awesome. I tried to get more but that's all they had.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

You can add anything in to your pool IF you know what the ingredients are and what it will do. Many folks in here can't afford to add extra CYA or calcium willy nilly...but other times they need it. So its all a matter of understanding the chemicals and their actions.

Does that stuff they wanted you to toss the 1.5 pounds in weekly contain copper? Be on the lookout for that and avoid it, even if you need the other chemicals in the mixture.

Maddie

 

[amityeric]

My last pool and next one were almost double that @35k. Now, You and I will need more chemicals for our waters than some, which is why it’s even more important to do it the most efficient way with the dirt cheapest of adds.

We will guide you how.

Borax which is $4 for a 4 lb box in the laundry aisle of the supermarket

Muriatic acid ($11 a gallon) which is available in the paint section of any home store / hardware store

baking soda which is $7 for 13lbs at the Costco like bulk suppliers or similarly priced at Walmart and the grocery store. 13 lbs will last YEARS for most folks

Lower your PH with MA (Muriatic Acid) and the TA Lowers too once the PH rises again.

We’ll get there together but rest assured.

We.

Got.

You.

Thank you so much.

 

[amityeric]

You can add anything in to your pool IF you know what the ingredients are and what it will do. Many folks in here can't afford to add extra CYA or calcium willy nilly...but other times they need it. So its all a matter of understanding the chemicals and their actions.

Does that stuff they wanted you to toss the 1.5 pounds in weekly contain copper? Be on the lookout for that and avoid it, even if you need the other chemicals in the mixture.

Maddie

Thank you for this advice.